Juggling Work, School, and Hygge

 

Welcome back to our cozy place. I’ve got my cup of chai tea, thick socks, and chunky knit sweater on, so I’m ready to talk about our next topic. In this post, I’ll explain how I incorporate hygge in my busy life and I thought it appropriate since the spring semester will be starting soon (next week, for me).

The easiest way to incorporate hygge is with music. I listen to Lo-fi music, which is a combination of jazz and techno, at least that’s how I would describe it. It’s calming, relaxing music, perfect to wake up to or accompany your bedtime routine. I have it on as much as possible, even right now as I write this post. I am listening to the “lofi hip hop radio- beats to relax/study to” on YouTube, and they also have a Spotify playlist, which is set as my alarm. I play this radio as I walk to campus, or on my walks around my neighborhood, as I get ready for the day, or as I putter around my room. Music is a great way to relax and slow down and enjoy whatever it is you’re doing. Music helps me be productive without the pressure and creates a positive headspace for me.

Another way that I incorporate hygge into my busy days is coffee or tea. A cozy drink, either warm or iced, helps to enjoy the moments. I’ll take a break from working to sip my drink, the pleasure of tasting helps to slow my mind and regroup for the next thought. Every morning I go to work, I will have my thermos full of coffee or tea (mostly tea), and it’ll last for the first several hours as I wake up and fall into the groove. My campus has a café which I will sometimes enjoy grabbing a cup of chai tea latte, my favorite for the fall and winter months. A warm drink and music and I’m all set.

The last and probably most important way to incorporate hygge into my busy life is a hobby. In the next post, I’ll talk about my hygge hobbies (all hobbies are hygge, by the way), but for now, I’ll explain why it’s the most important. A hobby provides a break from the fast-paced and diligent lifestyle and can help me to think in a different way to what I’m used to, or less thinking overall. A hobby is specific and important to me alone, thus giving me the alone time that I need separate from the outside world. A hobby places me in a headspace that I know is safe and comforting, but at the same time, learning a new hobby will temporarily push me out of my comfort zone (I want to learn how to crochet soon). A hobby asks for me to set aside time to give attention to, which also makes me step away from the looming tasks I need to complete and rather focus on something that is slow-paced or paced at a comfortable speed for me. In the next post, I’ll talk about my specific hobbies and suggest some hobbies you might be interested in.

I hope this post helps you to incorporate more hygge and slow living in your busy life. Thank you for reading! <3